India's shocking 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the just finished red-ball series has left the team reeling.
Earlier this week, the visiting team inflicted upon India their heaviest defeat in terms of runs, defying expectations. It was the Proteas' first series win in the subcontinent in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just a year after a 12-year unbeaten run.
The winning rhythm built over the past six months has all but vanished and the prospects of several players - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - now hang in the balance.
A Promising Start Fades Quickly
The young team's impressive performance in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, suggested a successful handover post the almost concurrent exits of stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
A facile 2-0 victory over West Indies at the beginning of the home season strengthened that view, until the Proteas arrived to deliver a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that skipper Gill got injured quickly in the opening Test and did not participate again in the contest. However, that fails to account for the side of the terribly sub-par showing in the two games against South Africa.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and a few members eyeing lengthy Test careers were shown as not yet good enough - in skill or mindset - for the format.
Worrying Trend
It was the second clean sweep at home endured by India in just more than a year. In 2024, little-fancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which practically cost the hosts a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The fresh failure to South Africa could damage the team's chances of qualifying for the final of this edition as well.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings prior to the contest, India have been relegated to fifth place. Even though nine further games are yet to be played, a majority are against the Aussies. Typically, competing on home turf would be a huge advantage - including against the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas leave little scope for such comfort.
Reasons for the Slump
The national team's weakness in the longer format has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have performed so poorly in Tests on home soil lately is remains puzzling.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that favored spin bowling and benefited their players, India dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was seen as an anomaly.
Today, the team appear to be beatable in their own backyard.
Facing the Kiwis in last year and South Africa this year, India were beaten at their own game. The surfaces they curated to help their style failed miserably, as opponents exploited them better, outplaying the home team's players when it counted the most.
What Happened?
Certain analysts propose that India is floundering at home because home surfaces have been changed from turners to quick wickets to prepare players to perform better abroad.
Others highlight that the domestic T20 league, in which many overseas players play, has reduced the surprise and difficulty Indian conditions would challenge them with earlier.
Although there is validity in these views, it fails to account for the reason India's performances on home soil have seen such a dramatic drop.
Several Weaknesses
Many past stars identify a complicated issue, not just one or two factors.
Critics and players have pointed to various flaws after India's disappointing performance to the Proteas: not respecting the foe, poor preparation, flawed selections, arrogance, constant chopping and changing of the team lineup, and favoring limited-overs over red-ball cricket.
This was evident in the performances of the team.
Members such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom high hopes were held, paid for their carelessness, while Sai Sudarshan, Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were looking to cement their position in the squad - were found wanting in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep, Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar - lived up to their ability and standing - but inadequately to win matches.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare not only the cricketers - team selectors and backroom team were also under fire, driven by distraught fans and outspoken ex-cricketers. Under focus of the criticism was team coach Gautam Gambhir.
In his post-series press
